Council Chairman Commits to Partnership with GSAI to Boost Women's Empowerment

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First on the Left: GSAI Programme Officer Grace Udie handing a copy of GSAI Magazine to the Executive Chairman of Abaji Area Council, Hon. Abubakar Umar Abdullahi

Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAI) team paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Chairman of the Abaji Area Council, Hon. Abubakar Umar Abdullahi.

During the visit, GSAI’s Program Lead, representing the Executive Director, highlighted the critical role Abaji area council and its representatives play in addressing key issues on gender accountability and transparency. 

This research forms part of the Gender, The Agenda collaborative media project, supported by the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism and the MacArthur Foundation. The purpose of the visit was also to hold the government accountable through channeled initiatives and gender budgeting in the area council.

The Executive Chairman, appreciating the efforts of GSAI and her partners pointed out the role the area council has played in empowering women since the beginning of the present administration under his leadership.

He outlined the inclusive empowerment programs the government has been doing to include the empowerment of widows, and young girls with sewing machines and skills to empower them economically.   

GSAI also introduced the GSAI Community Women Vanguards (GCWV), who represent the six area councils in the FCT with a need to extensively change the narrative on the investigative reports which looked at the hidden costs of gender non- responsive budgets for women in the rural communities. The team stressed the importance of the vanguards in advocating for women’s needs and ensuring their voices are heard in community-level decision-making.

As a result of the visit, the Executive Chairman pledged to enhance security, education, and the empowerment of women, girls, and persons with disabilities in Abaji area council. He further pledged to create an office for a special assistant to the executive chairman on disability matters to be held by a person with disability in the area council.

GSAI further presented her baseline report on women’s political participation and a detailed analysis of gender budget dynamics, under the Gender, The Agenda project with support from the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism and the MacArthur Foundation.

The Abaji leadership assured GSAI of continued collaboration in promoting gender equality and driving community development across the FCT.


 RECOMMENDATIONS

1.     Innovations and initiatives to enhance women’s empowerment in Abaji area council.

2.    Implementation of more initiatives that foster greater women’s political participation in the area council.

3.  collaborations focusing on continuous monitoring and evaluation of gender-related programs, community empowerment initiatives, and the implementation of GSAI's recommendations.

 CONCLUSION

The Abaji area council executive chairman pledged cooperation with GSAI and her partners to support gender equity and foster community development in the FCT for women, girls, and persons with disabilities starting from the area council.

 


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